Heuchera plant named &#39;Pinot Noir&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Heuchera  of hybrid origin, ‘Pinot Noir’, characterized by its relatively small, broadly ovate shaped leaves held on purple petioles that are dark purple-grey in color when they emerge and developing a silver overlay with dark purple veins as they mature. ‘Pinot Noir’ is further characterized by its mounded and compact plant habit, its tolerance to high heat and humidity, its vigorous growth habit, its early blooming habit with abundant, creamy white flowers and its hardiness in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is co-pending with U.S. Plant Patent applications filedfor sibling plants derived from the same cross in the inventor'sbreeding program that are entitled Heuchera Plant Named ‘Beaujolais’(U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/008,338), Heuchera PlantNamed ‘Encore’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/008,941),Heuchera Plant Named ‘Pinot Gris’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 12/008,928), Heuchera Plant Named ‘Tiramisu’ (U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 12/008,921 and Heuchera Plant Named ‘Pistache’(U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/008,927).

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Heuchera hybrid

CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

‘Pinot Noir’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybridHeuchera, botanically known as a Heuchera of hybrid origin and ishereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Pinot Noir’.

‘The new cultivar was derived from a controlled breeding program by theinventor in Hantay, France. The inventor made a cross in summer of 2005between Heuchera ‘Gloire d'Orleans’ (not patented, syn.Heuchera×brizoides ‘Gloire d'Orleans’) and Heuchera×villosa ‘Caramel’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,560). The goal of the breeding program was toobtain unique cultivars of Heuchera that combined the flowering habit of‘Gloire d'Orleans’ with the vigor and unique foliage coloration ofHeuchera×villosa. The inventor selected ‘Pinot Noir’ in 2006 as a singleunique plant amongst the seedlings that resulted from the above cross.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished underdirection of the inventor by in vitro propagation in Rijswijk, TheNetherlands in winter of 2007. Asexual reproduction of the new cultivarby division and tissue culture has shown that the unique features arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Pinot Noir’ as a new and unique cultivar of Heuchera.

-   -   1. ‘Pinot Noir’ exhibits uniquely colored foliage with leaves        that are dark purple-grey in color when they emerge and        developing a silver overlay with dark purple veins as they        mature, leaves held on purple petioles.    -   2. ‘Pinot Noir’ exhibits cordate shaped leaves that are smaller        in size in comparison to most ×villosa hybrids and its sibling        cultivars.    -   3. ‘Pinot Noir’ exhibits a mounded and compact plant habit.    -   4. ‘Pinot Noir’ is tolerant to high heat and humidity imparted        by a ×villosa as one of the parent plants.    -   5. ‘Pinot Noir’ is cold hardy in U.S.D.A. Zone 4 to 9.    -   6. ‘Pinot Noir’ has a vigorous growth habit.    -   7. ‘Pinot Noir’ is an early and abundant bloomer with creamy        white flowers.

‘Pinot Noir’ is a unique Heuchera with more vigor, cold hardiness, andtolerance to heat and humidity than is typical for a dark foliagedHeuchera. ‘Pinot Noir’ differs from its parent plants in that ‘Caramel’is a ×villosa hybrid and has foliage that is yellow-orange in color and‘Gloire d'Orleans is a ×brizoides hybrid with green foliage.

‘Pinot Noir’ can be compared to Heuchera ‘Gypsy Dancer’ (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 15,959) for its similar leaf color in summer, however ‘Gypsy Dancer’blooms with light pink blossoms rather than creamy white and has foliagethat exhibits greener veins. The closest comparison plants in overallleaf shape, habit, and performance are its sibling cultivars that differin foliage coloration; ‘Beaujolais’ has burgundy-red leaves overlaidwith silver, ‘Encore’ has rose-purple leaves, ‘Pinot Gris’ has leavesthat emerge orange-yellow and mature to a rose color with a silveryoverlay, ‘Tiramisu’ has foliage that is yellow-green with red mottling,and ‘Pistache’ has yellow-green leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Heuchera. The photographs inFIG. 1. and FIG. 2 were taken in mid summer of plants six months in ageas grown outdoors in a trial garden in The Netherlands and thephotographs in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 were taken of plants two years in ageas grown in a 2 gallon container in Hantay, France The photograph inFIG. 1 provides a view of the leaf form and typical mid summercoloration. The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of a leafof ‘Pinot Noir’. The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a side view in bloomof ‘Pinot Noir’. The photograph in FIG. 4 provides a close-up view ofinflorescences of ‘Pinot Noir’. The colors in the photographs are asclose as possible with the photographic and printing technologyutilized. The color values cited in the detailed botanical descriptionaccurately describe the colors of the new Heuchera.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of six month-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown in 1-liter containers outdoors in New Hope, Minn.with the detailed flower data taken from plants two years in age asgrown in two-gallon containers in Hantay, France. The phenotype of thenew cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withthe 2001 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—About 5 weeks in early to mid summer.        -   Plant habit.—Compact, clump-forming herbaceous perennial,            mounded foliage.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about a height of about 25 cm in            height and about 35 cm in width.        -   Cold hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9.        -   Culture.—Full sun to medium shade in moist, well-drained,            fertile soils, tolerant to high heat and humidity.        -   Diseases and pests.—Disease free in the conditions tested,            no susceptibility or resistance to pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous roots on woody rootstalks.        -   Branching habit.—Basal rosettes of leaves on petioles.        -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation is the preferred method,            division are also possible.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Broadly ovate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Cordate, lobes overlapping.        -   Leaf apex.—Rounded to broadly acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Primarily palmate with reticulate secondary            veins, conspicuous on upper and lower surface, palmate veins            have stiff, short hairs about 1 mm in length.        -   Leaf margins.—Crenate with lobes (average of 6), not deeply            parted.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Basal rosettes.        -   Leaf orientation.—Held nearly horizontal to petiole, held            nearly flat to slightly concaved and slightly ruffled.        -   Leaf surface.—Finely pubescent on upper surface and            puberulent on lower surface.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves, upper and lower surface; N77C            flushed with 191A at margins, mature leaves, upper surface;            191A with veins N79A to N79B, mature leaves, lower surface;            191A with veins 139A.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 6.7 cm in length and width.        -   Leaf quantity.—Average of 20 per 1-liter container.        -   Petioles.—Round in shape, average of 9 cm in length and 2 mm            in width, N77D in color, surface is pubescent with abundant            fine hairs 1 to 2 mm in length.        -   Stipules.—None.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Numerous small bell-shaped flowers            arranged on pyramidal panicles on flower scapes emerging            from the base of the rosette, each peduncle has 2 pairs of            lateral flowers and a terminal flower.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 9 cm in height and about            4.5 cm in width in full bloom.        -   Inflorescence number.—An average of 18 per 2-gallon            container.        -   Flower fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower quantity.—Average of 50 flowers per flowering stem.        -   Flower lastingness.—Average of 4 days per flower, individual            panicles blooms for about 3 weeks, flowers persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Broadly elliptic in shape, an average of 2 mm            in diameter and 3.5 mm in depth, 158B in color with apex            155B.        -   Flower aspect.—Drooping to slightly outward on peduncles            held nearly horizontal to rachis.        -   Flower type.—Campanulate.        -   Flower size.—About 4 mm in diameter and 5.2 mm in depth.        -   Petals.—About 5, rotate arrangement and implanted in            hypanthium at base, narrowly elliptic in shape, margin is            entire, apex is narrowly apiculate, upper and lower surface            is glabrous and dull, color of upper and lower surface when            opening and mature is 155B, about 2.5 mm in length and 0.5            mm in width.        -   Calyx.—Campanulate, sepals fused to hypanthium, 2 mm in            depth and 1.5 mm in diameter.        -   Sepals.—5, un-fused portion is elliptic in shape, about 2 mm            in length and 0.5 mm in width, margin is entire, apex is            acute, base is fused, surface villose, color of upper and            lower surface is 160D in color.        -   Bracts.—None observed.        -   Peduncles.—Average of 3 cm in length and an average of 0.8            mm in width, held nearly horizontal to rachis, color 166A,            surface is densely villose.        -   Pedicels.—Average of 2 mm in length and 0.3 mm in width,            color 166A, villose surface, terminal is straight from            peduncle and laterals are held at about a 45° angle.        -   Rachis (flower scape).—Average of 28 cm in length and an            average of 2.5 mm in width, 166A in color, surface is            villose, peduncle internode length is an average of 5 mm.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—2 Pistils, club-shaped, about 4.5 mm in length,            stigmas minute and 155B in color, styles are about 4.5 mm in            length and 155C in color, ovaries are superior and 144D in            color.        -   Androcoecium.—About 5 stamens, anthers are ovate in shape,            basifixed, about 0.3 mm in diameter and 155C in color,            filaments are about 4 mm in length and 155C in color, no            pollen was observed.        -   Seed.—None.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant named ‘Pinot Noir’ asherein illustrated and described.